Please note: we have been online over ten years, and we want TrekToday to continue as a free site. But if you block our ads we are at risk.Please consider unblocking ads for this site - every ad you view counts and helps us pay for the bandwidth that you are using. Thank you for your understanding.

For fans hoping to see William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy or other actors from the original series in Star Trek 2, it looks like you’re out of luck. Plus: the possible return of Captain Pike, and an Abrams Star Trek 2 progress report.

The word over at Showbiz 411, from a “source close to the next film,” claims that none or the original series actors would be returning for Star Trek 2.

TrekMovie.com is reporting that although Star Trek 2 probably won’t be released until 2013, filming will begin on January 15.

The original script has already been, “done for a while,” according to Roberto Orci, and the writers are working on a third draft. “Rewriting is a good thing which normally makes the script better,” Orci added. “We like to keep pushing the script, even if no one gives us notes.”

Once Star Trek XI hit the movie screens, co-writer Orci found out that the reaction to the film was diverse – with some loving the new take on the original series and others not happy with some of the events of Star Trek XI. “I’d like to say I was surprised [by the reactions], but as a fan I was going through all of those reactions myself as we came up with the story and how to revisit the characters for the new movie,” he said. “The only surprise was how well-received it was.”

Back in May, TrekToday reported that Roberto Orci was interested in helping to create a new animated Star Trek series, and this weekend, word comes that both he and Star Trek XI Co-writer/producer Alex Kurtzman are serious about doing so.

Appearing on the My Geek Time radio show, the two revealed that they are seriously investigating the possibility of making the animated Star Trek. “We have asked about [an animated Star Trek series],” said Orci. “We have asked what the rights are and who owns it and what are the possibilities. It is a very early – kind of ‘is this a possibility?’ and we are waiting to hear back. But we would love to do it.”

“We just had the experience of doing Transformers: Prime on The Hub,” said Kurtzman. “We learned a lot from that experience and it would be cool to do something like that from Trek.”